


Runaway

by cestbelle



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-07
Updated: 2013-02-07
Packaged: 2017-11-28 12:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/674508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestbelle/pseuds/cestbelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After finding out about Wickham's betrayal, Lydia runs away. Darcy takes it upon himself to deal with that too. And things go from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Runaway

**Author's Note:**

> This is technically post-85 on Lizzie's vlog. Also, I must inform, english is not my first language and this has not been beta’ed, so bear with any mistakes and don’t let them get in the way, please. I posted this on tumblr first, but this is a slightly modifed version, with some corrections made and some things added.

Lizzie tried following Lydia after turning off the camera, tried getting her to talk, or scream, even, anything to show her she was there; she’d be there for anything her baby sister needed. But it was hard to do so through a locked door. Not that they had never had entire conversations liked that before, well, more like fights, really, but when all Lizzie could hear were Lydia’s loud sobs, she wasn’t even sure she could even be heard. So she just stayed there, waiting. Waiting for Lydia to come out, or someone, Jane or Charlotte to call, just waiting for something to happen so she wouldn’t feel as useless and awful as she felt.

It took about an hour for her phone to ring and she answered it quickly.

“Charlotte! Thank god… I was beginning to think…”

“Lizzie… I can’t really talk for long, just wanted to check out on you and Lydia… I just saw what you sent me… Is she… Is she okay?”

“Well, I don’t suppose anyone would be okay in her place… She’s been locked up in her room, crying, for hours. I tried talking to her but I’m not even sure she can listen to me, all I hear are sobs and… Wait… I think… I think she stopped. I’m going to try talking to her again. I’ll call you later, okay?” she hung up, not even caring about her friend’s response, she knew Charlotte wouldn’t mind. “Lydia, can we talk, please? I just… I wanted to apologize to your face. I got it all wrong and god… It’s my fault… Can you open the door, please?” She hoped for, at least an angry retort, or more sobs, but all she heard was nothing which was completely unlike Lydia, even depressed Lydia. “Lydia? Come on… I’m trying to…” Her phone was ringing again and she would have let it just ring had it not been Jane.

“Lizzie, do you know what Lydia’s last tweet means? She said she was going to get us rid of herself… Are you with her?”

“I am… Not really… She locked herself in her room, crying… Jane, have you seen what happened?”

“Charlotte told me… I’m coming home, but Lizzie, check on her…” Lizzie was about to say she was locked outside when Jane continued. “My key… I mean, the key to my bedroom’s door… You know it fits hers too!”

“Right! It does!”

Lizzie ran to Jane’s room and back and opened the door to an empty bedroom. She looked around, her eyes stopping at the opened window, and let herself fall on Lydia’s bed. She was aware of Jane’s expectantly breathing on the other side of the line, waiting for her to describe what was going on, but she couldn’t say the words. Lydia had ran away and it was all her fault. Wouldn’t that be a nice little intro on her next video?

**

Gigi was pacing around her office after watching Lizzie’s latest video. She thought she could relate pretty well to Lydia’s obvious pain, though she couldn’t help thinking she had gotten it easier. What George Wickham had done to her was low, but not nearly as low as what he was doing to that poor girl. She wanted so bad to do something, but it would mean facing feelings she wished to keep far behind her, not to mention going behind her brother’s back, which was easier said than done, especially since Fitz was of no help on that matter. William didn’t want her to get involved in this, but… Did that mean she couldn’t even check out on Lizzie?

She quickly browsed her contacts, making the call before something happened to prevent her (well, she could be sounding a _little_ paranoid, but she was pretty sure she was being purposefully kept busy). When Lizzie answered she was surprised to hear her voice, it was raspy and she had obviously been crying.

“Lizzie, is this a bad time I can call later…”

“No, it’s ok, Gigi… What’s up?”

“I was just calling to ask after Lydia… And you… I just watched the latest video. I’m worried about you… I feel like it’s my faul…”

“God, Gigi, no… If it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine. I could have just told those close to me about Wickham, without vlogging about it… Or without even mentioning your name… but instead I was too busy thinking only of myself and… You’re very kind to call.”

“It’s not your fault either, Lizzie…” Gigi said, feeling some tears in her eyes. “It’s Wickham’s fault, all of it. I wish there was more I could do to help but…”

“You, of all people, shouldn’t get involved in this.” Lizzie said so matter-of-factly, Gigi could swear William was feeding her lines. The thought almost brought a smile to her face.

“So I’ve been told. I really just want to know how are you doing… How is… everyone doing.”

“We’re…” she could hear the hesitation on Lizzie’s voice, like she wanted to get something off her chest, but wasn’t sure she should. “Lydia’s missing.”

“What?”

“Yesterday after I… Not so gently showed her what was going on she… She just disappeared…” The strain in Lizzie’s voice was obvious. “We have no idea where she went she just said she was going to… disappear…”

“Oh. Lizzie, I’m so sorry… I had no idea… Your family must be desperate. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s ok… I should probably go… We’re… Driving around some more, ask around some more… Thanks, Gigi… For caring… And…” For a moment there they both stayed silence, an unasked question hanging in the air. “Bye”.

Now, more than before, Gigi really wanted to do something for them and she hated William for a good few minutes for alienating her from any possibility of doing so, until all she could do was call the man himself. Of course he didn’t pick up the first time she did or the second, so she simply texted him:

_Lizzie is in trouble._

And not a second too soon he called her himself.

“Gigi.” She heard his voice and immediately turned the conversation into a video one.

“William…”

“This better be serious, I’m busy.”

“Hunting down George, I know. I’m not inventing a fake emergency here… Something slightly more important has come up.”

“I don’t see how you can possibly have come up with a more pressing matter than finding George Wickham.” There was her brother, holding his chin back, like he always did when he got nervous, which was infuriating at a time like that.

“For god’s sake, William! Are you doing this simply to get him or are you doing this for Lizzie? Because I happen to know for fact that she’s more preoccupied with finding her sister right now. I’m sure Fitz can continue this manhunt alone.”

“What do you mean?” Even from a phone screen Gigi could see the muscles on her brother’s shoulder tense at the mention of Lizzie.

“Lydia Bennet has disappeared yesterday, after finding out about what George Wickham has done.”

“Did she not know?”

“Of course not! She was in love with him, or so she thought, it has the power to make one consent to a lot of stupid things, but no girl in love ever would agree to sell such… Intimate things.”

“How do you know that? Has Lizzie posted a video saying so?”

“I… I called Lizzie. She told me herself.” Gigi said, already waiting for the scolding it would cost her.

“You shouldn’t have, but I’m glad you did. I’ll take care of this. And Gigi thanks for telling me.” He said a bit begrudgingly.

 

**

Finding a grown man was certainly easier than finding a 21 year old girl. He had been closer to George Wickham, at the time of Gigi’s call, than he was of finding Lydia Bennet a week later.

He had taken a flight to the Bennet’s hometown immediately after he heard the news, figuring it was better to start from the beginning. He had also called in a lot of favors. Hotels, restaurants, airlines, bus stations. He had called them all, and was sure he’d get any information on Lydia Bennet if her name popped up in those places. However, there was no guarantee at all she’d come by any of these, so he decided on the hands on approach.

That was what he told himself, or rather, what he had told Fitz and even Gigi, anyway. If he were being honest to himself he’d admit he had decided to forgo hunting Wickham because he knew her sister’s disappearance would distress Lizzie even more than the tape. And Fitz could take care of that other part.

So first he went there, as figured Lydia wouldn’t have been able to have gone too far so soon. He tried his best go about it as inconspicuously as he possibly could, as he figured his presence there would eventually get to Lizzie if he wasn’t careful and that was the last thing he wanted, even if it sounded dumb – according to Fitz. It was just that he couldn’t have her feeling indebted to him, that wasn’t what he wanted from Lizzie Bennet at all. He was pretty sure being, probably, one of the most hated people in town wasn’t really helping his case, though, but soon he had a lead and left, not really sure how far news of him being there had gotten.

He went back to San Francisco next and that was when he got stuck. He had no clue where she could be hiding. He tried finding out if she had friends in the area but had no such luck. He’d have to trust his contacts. On the other hand Fitz had located Wickham and William allowed himself one day off the Lydia hunt to deal with  _that_.

It was quite the show, he assumed (Gigi had managed to call Fitz precisely when he was having a… heated argument with Wickham and needless to say, it was on demo – he’d have to make sure those videos would be deleted as soon as he was able to deal with it), but he finally tricked the other mane and got what he needed to make everything, from Wickham to the website to the alleged video, go away. They had, now, on camera confession of how illicit that affair really was. He had to be fair and admit Gigi’s call had been timely made and he might need to keep those videos online a while longer than he would like to, so no one would accuse the Darcys of tampering with evidence, everyone would know what Domino was and how it worked. It was a matter of turning that one confession unquestionable.

Wickham, after being told exactly what had happened, even tried to talk Darcy out of presenting such evidence to the authorities, offering to take the site of the air immediately, for a small amount of money to compensate for the profit he’d lose. That prompted William to do something he’d later come to regret and think extremely foolish: he punched George Wickham square on the face. Twice. But he couldn’t lie, at that time it felt great and he was glad Gigi wasn’t recording anymore.

After taking care of that, and making sure Wickham wouldn’t hurt anyone he cared about anymore, he went straight back to San Francisco, to resume his search for Lydia Bennet (Gigi had confirmed out she was still missing).

And then patience paid off. A friend of a friend had said he had seen Lydia and found out she was staying at a cheap, badly located hostel in the city. He went after her immediately, towards what would probably be the one of the top most awkward experiences he had ever had (declaring his love for a girl whose hate for him was widely spread on the internet in front of her entire audience was probably still the highest ranked one, anyway). He was pretty sure Lydia hated him far more than even Lizzie ever did, she would probably blame him for driving her and Lizzie apart, considering how he had been talked of her for the world to see and how Lizzie had seemed to somehow have taken his judgment about her family to heart.

He was directed to the dorm she shared with 4 other girls, according to the information he had gotten on the front desk she’d be there alone. He knocked twice and waited and was not surprised at all when the door opened and closed immediately to his face.

**

“Lydia, may I speak to you, please?”

Of all the fucked up things that had happened to her lately, Lydia thought that William Darcy showing up at her (and 4 other girl’s) door was somewhere on the top 3. William Darcy asking if he “ _may_ ” “ _speak_ ” to her “ _pleas_ e” was probably there too.

“What do you want?” she asked knowing she sounded like a bratty 16 year old.

“Simply talk… About your… About your problems.”

“And what do you care about my problems? You…”

“I might have been of assistance in causing them… Unknowingly, of course but… The things I’ve done… I’ve said… I’m pretty sure they have contributed to your current position. And I regret it.”

Was that… An _apology_? From _Darcy_? That was something she didn’t expect. She slowly opened the door, facing him, willing to give him the benefit of doubt. After all he had been the first person to really apologize to her in ages.

“I’m listening.”

If she had been in a better place she would have had fun with the look he gave her. He was really stiff, and his nostrils were flaring with discomfort as he seemed to try and find the right words to say. What was it that he had been called on Lizzie’s videos before her sister started seeing the “virtues” of William Darcy and Lydia had stopped watching them? A lobster… An agoraphobic lobster. That seemed like a good description to what was going on in front of her.

“Miss Bennet, your family is worried sick about you.” He said.

“I really doubt that.”

“Why do you think I’m here?”

“Lizzie asked you…”

“No! Lizzie does not know I’m here and she must not know. But she is concerned about you.” Lydia was opening her mouth to ask how he knew, since he had seemingly taken a break from talking, but he talked again. “My sister has been in touch. Also her videos are very… Clear. I’m not the only one with regrets when it comes to you Miss Bennet.”

“Call me… Call me Lydia. Miss Bennet is too weird.”

“Lydia, I am sorry for the things I’ve said about you. I don’t know you at all to pass judgment and… I’m afraid my judgment might have strained your relationship with your sister.”

“Wow, you’re actually apologizing… With words. Many of them…” she looked up at him, who just looked back at her stiffly. “I can’t go home.”

“Everything is taken care of, Lydia. The site is… It is not online anymore. And your family… I’ve come to notice that you Bennet girls just don’t give up family. Even you. I understand if you need time but at least let me help.”

“Help?” She sad a bit dumbfounded still with the information about the site being offline. “George… Has he…” She started a bit hopefully, his stern face changing her mind quickly. “He… You bought him off?”

“No. Not exactly, though he tried to get some money out of it, but this time he was really outside of the law.”

“You… You got him arrested?” She wasn’t so sure how she felt about that. One part of her felt sorry for Wickham, other wanted to hug Darcy, mostly she still felt like garbage.

“Not quite so yet, but hopefully soon. He can’t escape it this time.”

“I understand…” She looked down, not really sure how to react. “Thank you.” She guessed she was thankful, indeed, there wasn't another feeling to have in the case, right?

“It was nothing. Now… How do you wish to proceed? I can arrange to get you home as soon as you wish.”

“I think… I need time. You said you understood that?” He nodded, so she went on. “I just… I feel… So…” She started crying, not really caring that it was in front of William Darcy, who looked more and more stiff with every sob of hers, which didn’t make her prepared at all for when he reached for her hand, gently, placing a handkerchief  there.  _A motherfucking handkerchief_. He would have one of those.

“I understand you need to let it out. I’m not particularly suited to… Comfort you, but I’ve seen this before and I know someone who would understand you and I’m sure she’d love to help you. I won’t tell your family about it but, would you come with me, Lydia? Let us help you…”

“Why are you doing this? I mean all of this? You said it yourself, you don’t know me…” She asked still a bit suspicious about all of that.

“I have many reasons but the most important is that I do want to help you. I owe you this much.”

“I guess. Ok… Should I get my things?”

“Please. I’ll pay your debts.” He left quick and as stiff as ever.

Lydia picked up the few things she had brought with her, feeling like she had stepped into a parallel universe where Darcy was kind and George was evil. But, it downed on her, it was the real world and maybe Darcy wasn’t the only one who had passed wrong judgment and the Bennet sisters were not such good judges of character as they wanted to believe they were. She went to the front to wait for him and found him paying, some part of her was glad that it was probably going to be quite a cheap bill.

“Are you ready?” he asked her and she nodded and since he started walking, she just followed him, silently. Actually from then on everything was silently, because he wasn’t exactly comfortable around her, she figured.

When he stopped they were in front of the nicest condo Lydia had ever seen. Once again he led her without saying a word, until the elevator stopped and they were out, already inside a large hall.

“Please, make yourself comfortable. I’ll call Gigi.”

“Who’s Gigi?”

“My sister. She’s the person I wanted to introduce you to. I’m sure you two will have… A lot to talk about.”

Once again he just stepped away without a word, vanishing inside the large apartment, so Lydia just wandered about the room she was in, checking the paintings and the furniture curiously – she wanted to know what really rich people had in their homes – finally deciding to sit on the big black couch by the window, where she could appreciate the view.

“Lydia?” She heard a female voice, a lot friendlier than Darcy’s and turned her attention to where it came from.

Gigi looked a lot like her brother, like, a lot. Except she seemed more relaxed, if slightly anxious. She was looking at Lydia like she had found a long lost child or something, which was really weird, since they had never met.

“Yeah… You are Gigi?”

“Yeah… It’s… It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“Uh… Thank you. I guess… Your brother…?”

“William had to deal with some stuff…” Gigi waved her hands carelessly and sat beside Lydia. “Do you need anything? Beverage! Can I offer you a drink?”

“No thanks.” Lydia smiled politely. “Your brother said you’d… Understand me. What did he mean?”

“And he told me you were still too upset to deal with this right now. Why don’t we watch a movie, right now, and you relax for a few days before we get to this?”

“A movie would be nice. A horror movie would be perfect.” That made Gigi laugh.

“Yeah, I certainly get that.”

Lydia spent the next couple of days on Gigi’s company. The girl was very eager to please – unlike her brother, who had barely been seen by either of them those days – and she managed to cheer her up some, and to provide lots of slasher movies. Lydia was aware that Gigi talked to Lizzie, always very quickly and rushed, so she wouldn’t end up giving up their secret and Lydia suddenly found herself missing her sister

“She is very worried…” Gigi said after the last time she had talked to Lizzie. “And I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m avoiding her.” She smiled nervously.

“Is your brother doing all of this for Lizzie?” She asked a question that had been on her mind since she arrived at the Darcy’s. Gigi sighed.

“Partially. He’s doing it for me, for him, for you, for Lizzie. I suppose mostly for Lizzie, though. Wickham is a horrible person who knows exactly how attack his enemies right where it hurts… And he wanted to hurt Lizzie for exposing his character… And he knew that hurting Lizzie he’d hurt my brother, which is always a bonus. Lizzie and William’s weaknesses are unsurprisingly similar… You for her and for William that would be me.”

“You?” Lydia knew that she had gotten to the point where Gigi would tell her how she could understand what she had been through. And tell she did.

Lydia listened to all of that not saying a word, her heart breaking every time Gigi talked about how she had fallen in love with Wickham, and when she explained how he had used her for her wealth and how, finally how he had sold their so-called love for the money her brother offered. Her heart broke, not only for herself – she couldn’t avoid feeling jealous, even if her feelings for Wickham were mainly negative at that point – but also for the girl in front of her whose heart had also been trampled on by the same man.

“I’m sorry.” Gigi finished, she seemed more at peace with everything now, Lydia wasn’t sure she’d be able to tell her own story without crying, but Gigi had managed to. “What happened to you was so much worse… So much lower. But… I can understand how one can be charmed by George Wickham. And I’m living proof that you can survive and get over him.” She smiled lightly.

“I want to go back home.” Lydia said, her eyes wet with some tears. “You had your brother, even if you hated him… I… I need my sisters.” She explained, knowing that the sudden urge to get home could seem like she just wanted to get away from Gigi.

“Yeah! Sure! We’ll arrange that immediately.” Gigi nodded.

“Thanks…” Lydia nodded and smiled, drying a few tears from her face. “For everything and… For telling me.”

Gigi nodded and disappeared inside to make some calls, while Lydia went to gather her things from the guest room she had been staying on.

Not much later she heard two knocks on her door and turned to find Darcy standing there.

“Gigi told me you want to leave.” He stated.

“Yeah, I need to go back to my family… I need them. I’ll make sure to tell Lizzie…”

“No. You can’t…” there was a hint of desperation in his voice, but he quickly composed himself. “You must not tell her. I didn’t do it to get her gratitude.”

“But you did it because you love her. She deserves to know… Even you have to think that, or else why would you…?” Lydia was surprised to see him blushing.

“I merely want your sister happy. Yes, I did it out of love for her, but not because I expect to gain her affections with that. That’s not how I want that to go.”

“Wow… You really do love her… Literature love her… She’d dig that being a big book nerd…” Lydia smiled at that. “Fine, I won’t tell her, but if there’s anything I can do to help…”

“Don’t.” He shook his head. “I do not need false hopes, your sister may have been friendly towards me but after the last events I’m not sure she’d be as receptive… She thinks I despise her connections and her family still and could never reciprocate...”

“Lizzie is pretty stubborn when it comes to her opinions… But I’m sure she is more open-minded about you. I’ve been catching up on her videos. You’re a decent guy, Darcy,  _decent enough_.”

“I’m afraid she has changed her mind and I will have no other opportunities to change it again. So please, I ask of you not to tell her about your time with us, or about my role in what happened to George Wickham.”

“Ok… If you’re sure…”

“Thank you. There’s a car waiting for you downstairs, you’ll be taken to the airport and the next flight home is booked for you.”

“Thank you.” Lydia picked up her stuff. She stopped by Gigi’s room to say goodbye, she would have been part of a nice extended family, if her sister and Darcy weren’t so damn stubborn.

And within hours Lydia was standing in front of her house. Before she could even knock (knock? She had spent a lot of time around the Darcys, for sure) or ring the doorbell she heard a shriek and Lizzie and Jane were both wrapped around her, their voices blending together as they talked fast.

“Lydia. Oh my god, you’re okay. Where have you been? We were so worried? Why on Earth have you… Please don’t do that again… If I wasn’t so relieved I would… Oh, I’m so glad you’re back!” That last one was said in unison and Lydia smiled, really smiled for the first time in days.

“I missed you too… Even you Lizzie… I… Understand you were worried about me”.

“Yeah, but I went about it completely wrong… I didn’t mean to offend you. There’s nothing wrong with having fun.”

“Just not too much fun, or you wouldn’t be Lizzie Bennet.” Lydia chuckled. “I think I might skip the fun for a while, anyway…” She tried smiling again, but looking at her sisters’ hesitant faces she just crumbled, she pulled them both into a hug and cried and cried. She didn’t even notice how they managed to take her inside and to her bed.

**

“And that’s a wrap.” Lizzie said, after filming her last video, about how Bing had come back and managed to regain Jane’s heart – which she suspected he had never really lost. Bing being back, however, made her think about Darcy a lot more than she would have wanted. Especially because she was sure he didn’t want anything to do to her anymore, since the Wickham thing with Lydia, after all, he had been forced to have Gigi deal with that again – from her conversations with Gigi he wasn’t happy at all about her having news about the scoundrel. She had no one to blame but herself, really, if only she hadn’t been so… judgey.

She opened her older videos and looked for the ones with him in it, the ones from when she was shadowing Pemberley. She couldn’t help but to sigh as she watched them, like a silly girl from a XIX century novel, she knew. And the thing was, he wasn’t the only thing she missed. She missed Gigi, and Fitz, and she missed Pemberley, and she missed the unforgiving hills of San Francisco. But mostly she missed William Darcy.

Lydia had seen Lizzie watching her videos with Darcy more than once. Especially the last one they had made together, the one he asked her out. For days she tried to decide whether or not to tell her about her own last conversation with Darcy, when he told her he loved Lizzie, and tell her all he had done for them. She had made a promise, though, and she wanted to keep it, she owed him that much. But Lizzie was her sister and her sister was definitely suffering unnecessarily. If she knew… And hadn’t Darcy himself told her that the “Bennet girls just don’t give up family”?

Watching Lizzie go through it again settled it for Lydia. She approached her sister slowly.

“He’s really tall.” She said simply. No undertones, no nothing. Just a statement. That was enough to startle Lizzie into closing the tab with the video she was watching.

“Lydia! You…”

“This is the fifth time this week I see you watching this video.”

“Yeah. He’s really tall.” Lizzie said dismissively.

“I’m not supposed to tell you that, but I… I met him when I was in San Francisco. When I ran away.”

“What? Did you…”

“You’re wondering if I did something to offend him and that’s why you have to pine over him on an old video?”

“I mean… I didn’t meaaan to think that… I’m sorry. I’m trying to get better at not assuming the worst.”

“I know big sis, I know. Which is why I’m glad to say that was not what happened. Actually… He was the one who found me.”

“He what? Why didn’t you tell me that when you got here?”

“He asked me not to. Actually, he also has something to do with the… uhm… You know what disappearing. He tracked Wickham and managed to get a recorded confession of how he had no consent to distribute the video and he dealt with the authorities to make sure Wickham would get arrested.”

“He… Did? I can’t believe he dealt with Wickham. God, I wish he hadn’t it must have been so painful to him to…” Lizzie stopped herself there.

“Then he found me and I wasn’t ready to come back home, so he took me out of the hostel I was staying and took me to his place where I stayed for some days and I met Gigi and she told me about her and Wickham.”

“He took you to his home?” Lydia nodded. “Why?”

“Why? For you, Lizzie. He did most of it for you, of course. That’s why he asked me not to tell, he didn’t want you thinking that he was trying to get you indebted to him, like… You owed him your love. But you love him anyway so… There’s no harm in me telling you. Right?”

“I don’t  _love_  him! I’m… I lik… I mean… I’m fond of him… But I don’t  _love_  him.”

“Lizzie, really? You watch your videos with him every day, sometimes more than once. You keep looking at the distance and get all sad whenever Bing shows up. I know you sis.”

“Fine, but, there haven’t been a word from him, so, clearly, he doesn’t love me still. He just… Feels like he treated us badly at first.”

“Or that’s what you want to believe in, so you won’t have to deal with the fact that you’re a bit more than fond of William Darcy.” Lydia said matter-of-factly. “Well, that’s all I had to say anyway. You decide what to do with it but… If I were you, I’d vlog about it.”

**

_You know how when sometimes you have all of these feelings and you just try to suppress them, because they’d make you seem weird or crazy and then something happens and it’s like, that last drop of water that just makes the glass overflow and you can’t hold it in anymore? My name is Lizzie Bennet and I… I miss Darcy._

_I do. Those last few days in Pemberley I just saw a completely new side of him and, my feelings shifted. He was good guy after all. And now I find out he is actually a great guy. A guy who does something he certainly didn’t want to do just to… To help someone pretty undeserving of his help. And who after that helps someone really important to said undeserving person. And asks absolutely nothing back. I mean, there’s a certain lack of guys like that around, personally he’s the only one I know…_

“Well, now, this is something I never expected you to admit out loud.”

“Charlotte! Come here. Hey guys, Charlotte is back!”

“Just for the weekend, Catherine, actually insisted that I come.”

“Catherine de Bourgh?”

“She’s remarkably interested in what happened to you guys. She said…”

“Wait, wait… Costume theater?”

They took some time to find the perfect Catherine costume for Charlotte, as they decide Lizzie to remain being Lizzie and just watch.

“Charlotte, dear, how is Miss Bennet going? I’ve heard from my niece of her family troubles. Georgiana seemed so distressed, of course, and she didn’t tell me more. But I have contacts… That poor younger sister of hers, to get played by such a character like George Wickham. Well, not that with what my sources tell about the younger Miss Bennet it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. And to think my nephew considered associating with that family…”

“Considered. Past tense.”

“Lizzie… Wait.” Charlotte said, getting back into character after. “Of course, not that she would ever consider taking him, right? She knows her place.”

“Oh, I know my place, alright.”

“You can  confirm that for me, can’t you dear? That she won’t take my nephew? She has already taken such a toll on him.”

“Wait, make sure I won’t take him? As if he’d ask again…”

“Exactly.” Charlotte smiled, getting out of character. “Catherine de Bourgh seems to think Darcy still loves you and intends on declaring himself to you again. What should I tell her Lizzie?”

“Tell her that she doesn’t own my life? Or Darcy’s life? If, big if here, he ever tells me about his feelings again I shall be the one to decide what to say; I will most certainly not decline him simply because an old hag asked.”

Lizzie was so furious that Charlotte was the one to look startled at the camera and turning it off.

Lizzie spent the whole time Charlotte was trying to edit the video fuming over the conversation they had just had. How dare anyone try to control her feelings but herself? Damn, not even her could control them anymore.

“Do you think she’d talk to him?” She asked Charlotte. “I mean to make sure he won’t take me?”

“Possibly, but Lizzie… If we do post this, there’s a big chance that he will see it. I mean, Gigi still watches right?”

“I guess. She talks about them sometimes.”

“Do you really want me to upload this? You’re pretty clear. At least for those of us who know you… I’m not sure he... Does he still suck at reading you?”

“Just post it, Charlotte. If anything I want Mrs. De Bourgh to know what exactly I think about her. I’ll deal with Darcy if I have to.”

**

William was just finishing a meeting when he saw Gigi’s anxious face hovering around the door, obviously looking for him. She signaled him to hurry up and he did so, excusing himself.

“Gigi, what’s wrong?”

“It’s not what’s wrong, William, it’s something you have to see. Right now.”

He let her pull him to her desk, where Lizzie’s latest video was open. His heart did a small flip thing inside his chest, he believed was the best description, as he saw her face there, looking completely and utterly outraged. He looked at his sister, feeling confused, how could that not be wrong? Lizzie looked positively upset. Gigi just nodded towards the computer, pressing play.

His heart did the flipping around routine again and again, as he heard her talk about him like that. Like he was… Special. And then it kept doing it, but also, he believed, there were butterflies in his stomach as he got to the costume theater with his aunt as protagonist. He wasn’t sure he was feeling sick or just nervous.

_“If, big if here, he ever tells me about his feelings again I shall be the one to decide what to say; I will most certainly not decline him simply because an old hag asked.”_

Those words echoed inside his head for a while after the video finished and he just stared straight through the computer, until he heard Gigi calling him and looking at him, expectantly.

“Is this… Does it mean…”

“Yes, William? It means you have chance with Lizzie. You have to go after her.”

“But she didn’t say she’d take me.”

“For god’s sake. You know her… You know she’d have no problems with saying no if that was the case. She’s obviously considering it. You have to go. Just don’t… screw it this time…”

Next thing he knew he was back in Netherfield, almost exactly a year after he had first set foot here. He spent the afternoon after he got there with Bing, who was trying his best to assure him. He had talked to Jane who had said Lizzie’s feelings towards him were indeed a lot more favorable.

Yet, he didn’t manage to confess the true purpose of his visit to Lizzie, even though they had met a couple of times since his arrival. They had had dinner once, gone to Carter’s, and even been on a hiking trip. Bing, Jane and Lydia were always around, however, and he couldn’t muster the courage to ask her to be alone with him. Unsurprisingly, she was the one who took the initiative on that part.

They were on another hiking trip (he suspected that the other three had something to do with it too, as they immediately, said they were too tired to go on as Lizzie suggested they walked a little further down the track. Darcy, of course, accepted the suggestion, telling himself it was only so she wouldn’t go alone.

“I can’t hold it anymore.” Lizzie said, after they had been walking silently for a while. “I know… I’m too selfish to ignore the need to give relief to my own feelings and I’m afraid I may have to ignore yours. I can no longer help thanking you for all you did for Lydia. Ever since she told me, I’ve been anxious to express my gratitude. And I’m sure I speak for Jane and my parents, even though they have no idea all of that went down.” He could not hide his surprise, even though he was pretty certain she knew of his dealings in her family’s affair.

“I’m sorry. I did not wish you to know about that and had hoped Lydia would be true to her promise. I’m aware of how this might be seen in the wrong light.”

“Don’t blame Lydia, she was simply doing what she thought was best. Just let me thank you again and again, in the name of my family, for that generous compassion that induced you to take so much trouble and bear so much hurt for the sake of helping my sister.”

“If you will thank me, let it be for yourself alone. The wish of giving you happiness might add force to what led me on, I will not attempt to deny that. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, and felt sorry about Lydia, I believe, I thought only of you.” He could see a light blush creeping up her cheeks as he talked, an adorable blush, and that propelled him to continue his speech. “You are much too generous to toy with me. If your feelings are still what they were last year, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on the subject forever.” He could feel his heart beating fast in anticipation.

“I am so happy to hear this.” Lizzie said at once. “My feelings have certainly changed and recently I’ve come to think of you under a completely different light. Your generosity, loyalty and complete selflessness have made you the only man in the world I could think about.”

He was suddenly very much aware of how close they had gotten to each other during that small, yet meaningful exchange. He could barely restrain himself from just pulling her closer and kissing her. She couldn’t restrain herself at all. He felt her pushing his shirt, so he’d lean and kissed him most ardently.

They didn’t advance much after that, and they would have probably forgotten to go back if they hadn’t heard Lydia’s voice approaching, which prompted them to get themselves together and pretend they had been walking back to their group anyway. They remained silent the whole way like they had been doing lately and thought they had manage to throw everyone off pretty well.

Later that day and throughout the week they sneaked out every night to meet. It wasn’t that they wanted to keep their relationship a secret; they only wanted to enjoy it themselves before letting everyone know. And enjoy they did. Until eventually Darcy decided he wanted to announce their status as a couple to their families, as Gigi was coming to visit soon too. Lizzie thought it was ridiculously old fashioned, but what wasn’t ridiculously old fashioned about Darcy, after all? It would be weirder if he only showed up and acted as her boyfriend in front of everyone.

**

_So I’m finally graduating. Yay! That means this is my final vlog, though. I can’t say much, because everyone is waiting for me, apparently there’s going to be a party…? I just wanted to let you all know that I’ve graduated and I’m moving to San Francisco. I got a job at Pemberley Digital. Yay. Again. And I swear, it’s not because I’m dating the CEO. Well, not the main reason, they were considering that even when I was only shadowing them. So, yay three!_

“Lizzie? Are you ready?” She looked back and smiled as Darcy knocked twice on her door as he said that.

“Almost, just recording the last video.”

“Everyone is waiting.” He walked closer to appear on camera and kissed her gently.

“Well everyone. My name is Lizzie Bennet. And this is goodbye.”

 


End file.
